Alex
@arichards.bsky.social
Avid cartographer, part-time psephologist, amateur musician.
And since the whole of England is now done, here's the whole of England in 1974. The absolutely massive original can be seen in full res here:
www.deviantart.com/imperatordee...
www.deviantart.com/imperatordee...
November 19, 2025 at 12:19 AM
And since the whole of England is now done, here's the whole of England in 1974. The absolutely massive original can be seen in full res here:
www.deviantart.com/imperatordee...
www.deviantart.com/imperatordee...
The final English county - Cornwall has seen very few changes since 1974. There have been a scattering of parish boundary amendments - mostly in the 80s but with another round of changes in 2021 which also saw a few parishes merged. The 80s also saw a raft of new parishes created... 1/5
November 19, 2025 at 12:17 AM
The final English county - Cornwall has seen very few changes since 1974. There have been a scattering of parish boundary amendments - mostly in the 80s but with another round of changes in 2021 which also saw a few parishes merged. The 80s also saw a raft of new parishes created... 1/5
Currently the last of the two-tier counties to be done (in the whole country in fact seeing as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are entirely unitary), here's the parishes of Devon in 1974.
Devon has had relatively minor changes so far, with the most notable being Plymouth and Torybay... 1/5
Devon has had relatively minor changes so far, with the most notable being Plymouth and Torybay... 1/5
October 29, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Currently the last of the two-tier counties to be done (in the whole country in fact seeing as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are entirely unitary), here's the parishes of Devon in 1974.
Devon has had relatively minor changes so far, with the most notable being Plymouth and Torybay... 1/5
Devon has had relatively minor changes so far, with the most notable being Plymouth and Torybay... 1/5
My optometrist: You might want to consider using these eyelid wipes, they have a small amount of tea tree oil in them...
Me [instantly dropping into regs mode]: Oh advanced warning on that, there's an ongoing debate on banning tea tree oil so those might suddenly disappear in a couple of years.
Me [instantly dropping into regs mode]: Oh advanced warning on that, there's an ongoing debate on banning tea tree oil so those might suddenly disappear in a couple of years.
October 24, 2025 at 3:22 PM
My optometrist: You might want to consider using these eyelid wipes, they have a small amount of tea tree oil in them...
Me [instantly dropping into regs mode]: Oh advanced warning on that, there's an ongoing debate on banning tea tree oil so those might suddenly disappear in a couple of years.
Me [instantly dropping into regs mode]: Oh advanced warning on that, there's an ongoing debate on banning tea tree oil so those might suddenly disappear in a couple of years.
Verismo opera: Our goal is greater realism and focus on ordinary people in our works.
Also verismo opera: The two most famous works in this genre are the one about a troupe of actors mirroring the events of their play in their real life actions, and the one who's title role is a soprano diva.
Also verismo opera: The two most famous works in this genre are the one about a troupe of actors mirroring the events of their play in their real life actions, and the one who's title role is a soprano diva.
October 9, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Verismo opera: Our goal is greater realism and focus on ordinary people in our works.
Also verismo opera: The two most famous works in this genre are the one about a troupe of actors mirroring the events of their play in their real life actions, and the one who's title role is a soprano diva.
Also verismo opera: The two most famous works in this genre are the one about a troupe of actors mirroring the events of their play in their real life actions, and the one who's title role is a soprano diva.
You are unpacking boxes of books from being in temporary accommodation for a year and discover that your copy of 'If on a Winter's night, a Traveller' has gone missing.
You can't help but think that this is stretching the metatextual narrative a little *too* far.
You can't help but think that this is stretching the metatextual narrative a little *too* far.
October 5, 2025 at 12:16 PM
You are unpacking boxes of books from being in temporary accommodation for a year and discover that your copy of 'If on a Winter's night, a Traveller' has gone missing.
You can't help but think that this is stretching the metatextual narrative a little *too* far.
You can't help but think that this is stretching the metatextual narrative a little *too* far.
With the death of Jane Goodall, I am suddenly reminded of David Brin's Uplift series, in which the Chimpanzees humanity has genetically engineered into having human level speech capabilities and visible intelligence invoke her name like she's some sort of deity/guardian spirit.
October 1, 2025 at 7:02 PM
With the death of Jane Goodall, I am suddenly reminded of David Brin's Uplift series, in which the Chimpanzees humanity has genetically engineered into having human level speech capabilities and visible intelligence invoke her name like she's some sort of deity/guardian spirit.
Reckon it's 50/50 on this terrace beingbthe setting for a spy thriller chase scene or a romcom date scene...
September 16, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reckon it's 50/50 on this terrace beingbthe setting for a spy thriller chase scene or a romcom date scene...
The Alhambra also has a colony of cats who the general public are NOT ALLOWED to stroke, feed, kidnap, pick up or go psspsspss to. Photos are fine however.
September 14, 2025 at 2:27 PM
The Alhambra also has a colony of cats who the general public are NOT ALLOWED to stroke, feed, kidnap, pick up or go psspsspss to. Photos are fine however.
You can lead a horse to Chapel, but you cannot make him pray...
September 14, 2025 at 11:15 AM
You can lead a horse to Chapel, but you cannot make him pray...
Why yes that is a direct bus from Malaga to Ukraine.
Not anywhere specific *in* Ukraine mind you.
Not anywhere specific *in* Ukraine mind you.
September 13, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Why yes that is a direct bus from Malaga to Ukraine.
Not anywhere specific *in* Ukraine mind you.
Not anywhere specific *in* Ukraine mind you.
The rules on the Rock of Gibraltar can be summed up as:
"Rule 1: Do not feed the monkeys.
All other rules: This rule exists because someone fed the monkeys. :("
"Rule 1: Do not feed the monkeys.
All other rules: This rule exists because someone fed the monkeys. :("
September 12, 2025 at 4:21 PM
The rules on the Rock of Gibraltar can be summed up as:
"Rule 1: Do not feed the monkeys.
All other rules: This rule exists because someone fed the monkeys. :("
"Rule 1: Do not feed the monkeys.
All other rules: This rule exists because someone fed the monkeys. :("
*Looks across from Algeciras*
"Huh, Gibraltar's bigger than I thought."
*Considers*
"It's the zoomed in inserts."
"Huh, Gibraltar's bigger than I thought."
*Considers*
"It's the zoomed in inserts."
September 11, 2025 at 6:14 PM
*Looks across from Algeciras*
"Huh, Gibraltar's bigger than I thought."
*Considers*
"It's the zoomed in inserts."
"Huh, Gibraltar's bigger than I thought."
*Considers*
"It's the zoomed in inserts."
A collection of images observed today at the Museo de Bellas Artes in Sevilla:
1. St Jerome and the poorly kitty (no thats not a lion, come off it). 1/12
1. St Jerome and the poorly kitty (no thats not a lion, come off it). 1/12
September 9, 2025 at 9:26 PM
A collection of images observed today at the Museo de Bellas Artes in Sevilla:
1. St Jerome and the poorly kitty (no thats not a lion, come off it). 1/12
1. St Jerome and the poorly kitty (no thats not a lion, come off it). 1/12
I have been in Seville for approximately 2 and a half hours and have already managed to accidentally order a Mazanilla just asking for a local wine.
Very flavoursome, would desert from the garrison again.
Very flavoursome, would desert from the garrison again.
September 7, 2025 at 7:30 PM
I have been in Seville for approximately 2 and a half hours and have already managed to accidentally order a Mazanilla just asking for a local wine.
Very flavoursome, would desert from the garrison again.
Very flavoursome, would desert from the garrison again.
So who exactly came up with the concept of 'film about an anthropomorphic crocodile who can only communicate through the medium of music videos but has crippling stage fright' and how many drugs were they on?
July 26, 2025 at 2:07 PM
So who exactly came up with the concept of 'film about an anthropomorphic crocodile who can only communicate through the medium of music videos but has crippling stage fright' and how many drugs were they on?
Dorset's administrative history is a bit of an ever accelerating affair. The early years after 1974 saw minimal changes- most notably the expansion of Blandford Forum. Bournemouth and Poole became unitary authorities in the 90s, but surprisingly saw no boundary changes with the rest of Dorset 1/3
July 13, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Dorset's administrative history is a bit of an ever accelerating affair. The early years after 1974 saw minimal changes- most notably the expansion of Blandford Forum. Bournemouth and Poole became unitary authorities in the 90s, but surprisingly saw no boundary changes with the rest of Dorset 1/3
So with only three counties left to go in England, this raises an obvious question: How to show Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish areas after Devolution (the GLA being very much embedded in the English system). Namely should I just use borders to indicate the devolved two-tier system... 1/3
June 13, 2025 at 10:03 PM
So with only three counties left to go in England, this raises an obvious question: How to show Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish areas after Devolution (the GLA being very much embedded in the English system). Namely should I just use borders to indicate the devolved two-tier system... 1/3
Finally wrapped up another county, so here's Somerset in 1974. This is another one of those counties to have been extensively reorganised since then - indeed it was essentially a harbinger for the current round of re-organisation in 2019 1/3
June 13, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Finally wrapped up another county, so here's Somerset in 1974. This is another one of those counties to have been extensively reorganised since then - indeed it was essentially a harbinger for the current round of re-organisation in 2019 1/3
I'd like to thank Philip Glass for one of today's catfishing answers...
catfishing.net
#355 - 6/10
🐟🐟🐈🐈🐟
🐈🐈🐈🐈🐟
catfishing.net
#355 - 6/10
🐟🐟🐈🐈🐟
🐈🐈🐈🐈🐟
catfishing - the Wikipedia guessing game
Guess the Wikipedia article from its categories. 10 interesting people, places, and things to guess every day.
catfishing.net
June 13, 2025 at 8:42 AM
I'd like to thank Philip Glass for one of today's catfishing answers...
catfishing.net
#355 - 6/10
🐟🐟🐈🐈🐟
🐈🐈🐈🐈🐟
catfishing.net
#355 - 6/10
🐟🐟🐈🐈🐟
🐈🐈🐈🐈🐟
Just leaving Nottingham after tonight's @operanorth.co.uk performance of Simon Boccanegra. Absolutely phenomenal singing and music- as expected from them- and really quite the amusing coincidence to see a production that so plays up the political imagery 2 days before the local elections! 1/4
April 29, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Just leaving Nottingham after tonight's @operanorth.co.uk performance of Simon Boccanegra. Absolutely phenomenal singing and music- as expected from them- and really quite the amusing coincidence to see a production that so plays up the political imagery 2 days before the local elections! 1/4
You can find some amusing mistakes in parish boundary acts. Like the 2010 Taunton Deane Act creating Cotford St Luke which had to be followed the same day with a *second* act because they'd forgotten to actually legally transfer the territory...
April 28, 2025 at 8:31 PM
You can find some amusing mistakes in parish boundary acts. Like the 2010 Taunton Deane Act creating Cotford St Luke which had to be followed the same day with a *second* act because they'd forgotten to actually legally transfer the territory...
Wiltshire has had a bit of an interesting history since 1974. There was an initial period of significant change in the 80s and 90s that saw largescale enlargements of the urban parishes and culminated with the district of Thamesdown being turned into a new unitary council of Swindon 1/4
March 31, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Wiltshire has had a bit of an interesting history since 1974. There was an initial period of significant change in the 80s and 90s that saw largescale enlargements of the urban parishes and culminated with the district of Thamesdown being turned into a new unitary council of Swindon 1/4
Possibly a tad concerning I got the Airplane! quote sequence on Only Connect from the first clue...
February 24, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Possibly a tad concerning I got the Airplane! quote sequence on Only Connect from the first clue...
Just wrapped up the latest in my 1974 parish maps - here's the modern ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire and Bristol in 1974. As well as the obvious inclusion of three districts from the former Avon- Northavon, Kingswood and Bristol itself - the other things that jumps out... 1/2
February 23, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Just wrapped up the latest in my 1974 parish maps - here's the modern ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire and Bristol in 1974. As well as the obvious inclusion of three districts from the former Avon- Northavon, Kingswood and Bristol itself - the other things that jumps out... 1/2